Gray's team buying votes

[Anonymous]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/11/AR2010091105324.html?wprss=rss_metro

[jsteele]

Votes weren't being bought. People were being given incentives to vote (which is still illegal), but weren't being told for whom to vote. Also, there is no evidence that those giving out the gift cards were part of the Gray campaign. There is evidence that they are not connected to the Gray campaign. So, other than than that fact that this story is not about the Gray team buying votes, your subject line is completely accurate.

[Anonymous]

Yeah, the attempted "Gray vote-buying" sting video shows no connection to Gray campaign & no one saying to vote for Gray. MOTEN = FAIL

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/dc/2010/09/fenty_campaign_gray_supporters.html?sid=ST2010091005760

In the shaky video, one woman tells the woman with the hidden camera she has to "get on the van" if she wants a $10 gift card.

"We are going to buy you lunch," the one woman says. "If you get in our van, and go vote, if you get back on, I will be right here."

The woman asking about the gift card then asks, "Who do I got to vote for, Gray?"

"No, we are non-partisan, you can vote for whoever ... you can vote for yourself," the other states.

Yeah, what a story...

[Anonymous]

Interesting. And is there evidence that links Fenty to the job offer for votes allegations?

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:Interesting. And is there evidence that links Fenty to the job offer for votes allegations?

The last I heard, the Fenty campaign had identified the van driver (at first they said they couldn't do that. I don't know what changed) and were having their attorneys interview him. That story is here:

http://www.tbd.com/articles/2010/09/d-c-election-2010-fenty-lawyers-investigating-vote-buying-charges-9945.html

So, the answer to your question is there are no links to Fenty, but there are links to the Fenty campaign which may be what you actually meant.

[Anonymous]

The headline here is that the Washington Post has stooped to posting "news" based on home videos produced by Fenty flack Ron Moten.

[jsteele]

Cora Barry admits that her organization was handing out the gift cards. She doesn't see anything wrong with it:

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/dc/2010/09/cora_masters_barry_takes_respo.html

There doesn't seem to be any connection to the Gray campaign.

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:Cora Barry admits that her organization was handing out the gift cards. She doesn't see anything wrong with it:

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/dc/2010/09/cora_masters_barry_takes_respo.html

There doesn't seem to be any connection to the Gray campaign.

And is the Washington Post willing to be as up front as Cora Barry about the fact that they hand out Fenty propaganda? And can it be said that there doesn't seem to be any connection to the Fenty campaign?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:Cora Barry admits that her organization was handing out the gift cards. She doesn't see anything wrong with it:

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/dc/2010/09/cora_masters_barry_takes_respo.html

There doesn't seem to be any connection to the Gray campaign.

And is the Washington Post willing to be as up front as Cora Barry about the fact that they hand out Fenty propaganda? And can it be said that there doesn't seem to be any connection to the Fenty campaign?

Good point, but don't hold your breath.

[Anonymous]

I'm the PP who said that the "OMGZZZ FENTY BOUGHT VOTES" kerfluffle was a manufactured piece of campaign week nonsense. Just want to go on record as saying this is also much ado about nothing, to coin a phrase.